


Daggers In The Dark

by Niyke



Series: Prompts [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Political Intrigue, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 11:04:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10695696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niyke/pseuds/Niyke
Summary: Kylen isn't sure if she wants to be Queen.





	Daggers In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Write about a character who happens to be the next person in line for the throne… except that they do not wish to be crowned. Why is this? Are they afraid they would fail? Or (worst of all) are they afraid of their siblings, who would do anything to wear the crown?

Kylen suppressed a shudder as she watched her brothers and sister sit around her father’s bed with solemn expressions upon their faces.

To anyone else, the courtiers and advisors who frequently came to visit their dying king, the doctor treating him, even their mother, they looked like loving children sad to see their father go. But she could see it there, the longing in their eyes that had nothing to do with wishing their father were not dying. And as she gazed upon her father’s worn and tired face she could tell that he saw it too. Abruptly she turned and left the room.

She wandered the halls without thinking and soon found herself standing at the edge of the great balcony behind the dais in the throne room. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She glanced up to see Meron, her father’s young knight captain. He was dressed simply, well made breeches tucked into sturdy black boots and a dark gray shirt beneath his charcoal trimmed deep blue tabard. His dark brown hair was tied loosely back from his face and he looked as worn as she felt. She gave him a small smile, “Its okay, I was lost in my thoughts, didn’t hear you come up.”

He nodded, “There must be much on your mind,” he hesitated a moment before continuing, “are you prepared for your crown? It might be prudent to have your coronation quickly,“ he grimaced, “Not that it's a pleasant thing to think about.”

She shook her head and looked back out over the river and mountains behind the castle. “You’re right though. I’m not prepared. Well I’m prepared, just not ready, it's too soon. And a quick coronation is mandatory, Father is trying to talk me into letting him abdicate so that I can be crowned while he’s still alive but they’ll find a way to take advantage of that, and they’re all too ready to do whatever it takes to take that stupid ring of gold for themselves.”

Meron nodded, “I’ve been keeping a close eye on Fallon and Eldrid. They’re both plotting something, Fallon has been slipping away into the city every night, and Eldrid has spent far too much time lurking in the kitchens and following the spymaster around for my liking.”

Kylen gave another shiver at the thought of her two younger brothers. Falon was two years younger than her and as long as she could remember he’d been longing for her position as heir to the kingdom. Eldrid was a year younger still and for so many years been a perfect shadow of Fallon, even now their ambitions were the same. The only thing worse than her fear of her brothers was the fear of her sister. Idalia was younger by nineteen minutes, and had, for their entire life, despised Kylen for having the luck of being born first. Now that their father was days if not hours away from passing on she’d become far more vehement and dangerous in her hate. Kylen had never wanted the crown, she had no real desire for power like Fallon and Eldrid, or riches and finery like Idalia, she simply wanted to do the best for her father’s kingdom, her kingdom. But when Dhavlen had been killed in a skirmish with their neighboring kingdom she’d become the heir and suddenly her sister despised her even more and her younger brothers had made her a target.

“I’m more worried about Idalia to be honest, she’s always hated me and it's only grown since Dhavlen died. And unlike the boys she has the intelligence to get the advisors to like her and she has our uncle wrapped around her finger. If she makes a move she’ll have some important people willing to back her and that's dangerous. For all that we’ve all had the same education those three don’t care about anyone but themselves, and she’s the worst of them. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to take this crown.”

Meron frowned at her, “And what good would that do? Idalia would bankrupt the kingdom throwing parties and building herself more extravagant palaces, Fallon would go to war with every neighbor we have, ally or otherwise over nothing, and Eldrid would go mad with the power, if you don’t take the throne when your father passes our kingdom is doomed.”

Kylen let out a short, harsh laugh at that, “And it's doomed if I take the throne. Maybe not right away but they’ll all plot coups, Fallon will start a civil war if he can get enough people behind him, Idalia will probably help him, she’s smart enough to use him to get herself power. I’ll have to spend every second looking over my back and being scared of shadows, I’ll never have the time or the peace of mind to actually rule.”

Meron shook his head and grasped her shoulders, turning her to face him. “Kylen, I will never let those things happen. You have me at your back, always. And you’ll have the support of all your knights, and your army. And you know you have Grieg’s support, there’s a reason none of Eldrid’s attempts to spy on you have succeeded, why he hasn’t been able to get a hold of the poisons in the spymaster’s lab, Grieg is completely loyal to you, you’ll always have your spymaster at your back. And don’t forget how much the people love you, that makes it all the more dangerous for your siblings to try anything. There’s always Lyelli too, your older sister understands what happens here and she’ll come to your aid if you ask, just because she’s the future queen of another kingdom doesn’t mean she doesn’t still care for what happens here.”

Kylen couldn’t help but smile. Meron always knew how to reassure her when she got lost in the dark thoughts of worry and despair. He was right. Even if her siblings made a move for her crown she had people behind her to stop them. People who knew her, who trusted her, who believed in her.

And there was a knight captain at the her side, one who was loyal in every way, one who she hoped would one day sit on the throne beside her.


End file.
